Friday, May 22, 2020
Video Games Video Game Violence Essay - 1693 Words
Video Game Violence Blood and gore, intense violence, strong sexual content, use of drugs. These are just a few of the phrases that the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) uses to describe the content of several games. The future of entertainment revolves around technology. Along with the evolvement of technology, video games are also changing. More ways of playing violent video games are created each year, but most of us have this question in mind; do violent video games influence people to act aggressively? Video games are a unique form of entertainment because they encourage players to become a part of the game s script. Although video games have been available for more than 30 years, today s sophisticated video games require players to pay constant attention to the game. Players engage on a deeper levelââ¬âphysically and emotionallyââ¬âthan people do when watching a movie or television. Video games follow three guidelines to hook the player. These guidelines include a ââ¬Ëwowââ¬â¢ moment within the first five minutes of playing the game to grab the playerââ¬â¢s attention, communicating the core value of the game, and creating a storyline that the player can follow and ââ¬Ëget intoââ¬â¢ (Zurb). The violence found in todayââ¬â¢s video games can be anything ranging from aggressive driving in ââ¬Å"Grand Theft Autoâ⬠to defeating the worldââ¬â¢s most dangerous enemies in ââ¬Å"Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfareâ⬠(ââ¬Å"Television and Video Violenceâ ⬠). Video games cause the player to become more aggressive. Many ofShow MoreRelatedVideo Game Violence : Violent Video Games1626 Words à |à 7 PagesDavis English III 27 March 2015 Video Game Violence Violent video games have been being created since the first console. Yet only recently have we been blaming them for aggression in the player. We as humans have a tendency to blame our violent behavior on other things rather thin ourselves. Now aggression is being defined in many ways in this situation but mainly people point to the anger thatââ¬â¢s brought out in the real world after the game or maybe itââ¬â¢s the gamersââ¬â¢ tendency to haveRead MoreVideo Game Violence : Video Games892 Words à |à 4 PagesVideo Game Violence On December 14, 2012, a twenty year old boy named Adam Lanza shot twenty children and six staff at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Before arriving to the school, he shot his mother then committed suicide after the shooting. The reports say that he was influenced to shooting others by the video game ââ¬Å"Call of Dutyâ⬠. Video game violence is defined as a behavior including physical violence intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone or something impacted by videoRead MoreVideo Games : Video Game Violence1502 Words à |à 7 Pages2013 Video Game Violence The evolution of video games has taken a drastic change since the 1970ââ¬â¢s when video games were first introduced. Since then every decade video games have become more violent in nature with strong language and realistic to suit society today. Craig Anderson states that with more violence in video games they would sell better than games with less violence (Anderson, Gentile, and Beckley pg.5). Violent video games really became popular when the first person shooter games wereRead MoreVideo Game Violence And Violent Video Games2382 Words à |à 10 PagesAbstract The issue of video game violence seems to be a hot topic right now after several shootings have occurred and made a connection to the shooters being video gamers. In looking at past research it is apparent that there seems to large amounts of research that contradict one work to another. Although I would have been interested in conducting a poll of the publics opinion regarding the use of violent video games and their connection to mass shootings I was not able to conduct the researchRead MoreVideo Games and Violence1011 Words à |à 4 Pagesare probably millions and billions of video games sold every year to people. Some people seem to believe that violence correlates directly with video games. Video games are something that is usually a big interest in people at the ages of 13 to 19 years old. Video games usually start off as a little fun and then turn into a major hobby for some people. Emotions change based on whatever happens while a person is engaging in these games most of t he time. These games are another way to observe how peopleRead MoreVideo Games Violence664 Words à |à 3 PagesUNV - 104 August 11, 2013 Video Games and Violence Video games and violence have different effects on children according to the type of video games that is being watched It is important to understand the world of video games. All video games do not prevent violence in children. Parents should take into consideration in monitoring their child while choosing video games. Depending on the video game that is chosen, does not mean the child will result in violent behavior later on in lifeRead MoreVideo Games and Violence1981 Words à |à 8 Pagesconcerned about violent video games due to the increased reality in the games. However, society may not realize how children and teens are affected by these games. In modern times, children and young adults are affected by violent games in a negative way by causing changes in their behavior. The average American child watches 28 hours of television a week and by the age of eighteen will have seen 16,000 murders and 200,000 violent acts (Gallagher). People who defend violent games like to po int out thatRead MoreThe Violence Of Video Games971 Words à |à 4 PagesMost kids today play video games to entertain themselves and itââ¬â¢s their hobby. Today kids and even young adults play games like Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V), Call of Duty, and Fallout 4. All three of these games were one of the top games of their respective year of release. What do they all have in common? They depict violence in a way that its becoming more realistic every year theyââ¬â¢re sequels are released. But whatââ¬â¢s up with people blaming video games for mass shootings and other heinousRead MoreVideo Games and Violence942 Words à |à 4 Pages Video Games and Violence Awe entering in more advanced society of technology, video games has become a popular source of entertainment among us. Almost all of us has rented or owned a video game and we have spent hours playing it. As we all know, video games have become the second most popular form of entertainment after television; the source of entertainment is proven to be violent. Excessive playing of video games has a huge impact on our life as well asRead MoreDo Video Games Contribute For Video Game Violence?1170 Words à |à 5 Pages Do video games contribute to video game violence? I will discuss why video games do not contribute to youth violence, what types of warnings are given by video game companies, and what flaws exist in studies that suggest a correlation between violence and gaming. As the sales of video games have risen in recent years, some groups claim that violence in these games has caused violent behaviors among young players. However, this argument bears little factual evidence supporting such a connection
Thursday, May 7, 2020
Essay about The Not So Patriot Act - 1635 Words
The Not So Patriotic Patriot Act On September 11, 2001 the United States was attacked by a terrorist group on our own soil. On October 26, 2011 the US Government signed into law the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (USA Patriot Act). Only one and a half months after we were attacked physically by a terrorist group, our government decided that we would be better off with a lot less freedom in order to better protect America from terrorist attacks in the future. Although this seemed like an obvious need in 2001, now almost ten years later there is little evidence supporting a need for such an Act. The bottom line is that the Patriot Act allows the USâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Section 213 was written into the Patriot Act as a way to ââ¬Å"sneak and peekâ⬠locations before potential criminals or evidence had a chance to be relocated. This would give law enforcement time to completely search th rough someoneââ¬â¢s property either physically or electronically without their knowledge of it. However, at some point, they were required to inform the party of their search. In many cases, law enforcement works within a time limit during investigation of a case and Section 213 is intended to give law enforcement more leeway on how the fourth amendment is interpreted in terrorist type cases. To sum up Section 213, agents, through very little proof of evidence, are able to enter someoneââ¬â¢s house and do a full search of their property without any kind of notice. Obviously when it is at the discretion of the officers, they will likely overuse this power to extend past just possible terrorist attacks and call for the use of this section in other cases as well. Although there are obvious issues with this ruling, Heather MacDonald in The Patriot Act Is No Slippery Slope argues that this section is a critical part of the process of protecting Americans from terrorist attacks. She uses an example of the FBI wanting to ââ¬Å"plumb Mohamed Attaââ¬â¢s hard-drive for evidence of a nascent terror attackâ⬠(Donald, p. 1). In the text she goes on to argue that by allowing Mr. Atta notice of the FBIsââ¬â¢ intent to execute a search warrant on his property he would haveShow MoreRelatedThe Usa Patriot Act : What s So Patriotic About Trampling On The Bill Of Rights?1687 Words à |à 7 Pageshappen again passed the USA PATRIOT Act, which is an acronym that stands for the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act. The major goal of this act is to combat terrorism by giving the government more leeway in what areas they are allowed to use their surveillance tools and also to what circumstances these tools can be used. The major issue that arise with this act are the fact that many of the act can be seen as unconstitutionalRead MoreThe United States Of The Patriot Act1090 Words à |à 5 Pagesdecades, most notably after the tragic events of September 11th. The Patriot Act was passed shortly after these events in response to the acts of terrorism witnessed by the whole nation. At the time, it seemed rational and logical to allow this bill to pass, due to the extreme anger of American citizens, and the willingness to fight against terrorism. However, certain breaches of privacy came with the introduction of the Patriot Act. We as Americans want to feel protected from the threats of terrorismRead MoreThe United States Patriot Act1533 Words à |à 7 PagesKaylyn Dailey 11/27/16 Professor Carter American Gov. Term Paper Patriot Act On September 11, 2001, the Unites States suffered massive destruction caused by terrorism. Four planes were hijacked by terrorist. Nearly, three thousand lives were lost when two planes crashed into the World Trade Towers, one crashed into the Pentagon, and the final plane crashed in Pennsylvania before it could reach its final destination. An immense fear spread across the country and out of this fear came the UnitingRead MoreThe Patriot Act; Agree of Disagree877 Words à |à 4 PagesThe Patriot Act: Agree or Disagree Amanda Collier ENG/215 August 27, 2012 Bruce Massis The Patriot Act: Agree or Disagree President George W. Bush signed into law on October 26, 2001 The USA PATRIOT Act. The title of the Act is a letter acronym: Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (PUBLIC LAW 107ââ¬â56ââ¬âOCT. 26, 2001) This Act was written to prevent and punish terrorist acts here in the United States as wellRead MoreThe United States Patriot Act923 Words à |à 4 PagesBush enacted the USA Patriot Act. George bush has been quoted Stating ââ¬Å"Terrorism against our nation will not standâ⬠(Jones 2) a message which was hit home by the enactment of the USA Patriot Act. The Patriot Act gives law enforcement agencies increased powers enabling them to apprehend terrorist. The USA Patriot Act was enacted by congress on October 26, 2001, with the idea that it would help a crippled nation combat terrorism. The act of terrorism which is described as the act of using violence toRead More The Patriot Act Essay16 84 Words à |à 7 PagesThe Patriot Act After the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001 our country underwent a change that has drastically affected the fundamental values that our founding fathers instilled in this country. Since that tragic day in September the aftermath of the attacks has started to implicate our Civil Liberties that in this country we hold so dear. Just 45 days after the September 11 attacks, with virtually no debate, Congress passed the USA Patriot Act on October 5th, 2001. This act expandedRead More America Needs the Patriot Act Essay example827 Words à |à 4 PagesIs the Patriot Act Unconstitutional? The Patriot Act was introduced in 2001 after the September 11 attacks. The Patriot Acts purpose is to deter and punish terrorist acts in the United States and around the world. The Patriot Act Is meant to help stop terrorism by making it easier to get search warrants for suspected terrorists. The purpose of the Patriot Act is to enable law enforcement officials to track down and punish thos e responsible for the attacks on 9/11 and to protect against anyRead More Patriot Act Essays1231 Words à |à 5 PagesPatriot Act Were dealing with terrorists who operate by highly sophisticated methods and technologies, some of which were not even available when our existing laws were written. The bill before me accounts for the new realities and dangers posed by modern terrorists. It will help law enforcement to identify, dismantle, disrupt, and punish terrorists before they strike, (President George W. Bush at signing of Patriot Act, 2001). The terrorists of today cannot be reasoned with. We must doRead MorePrison1287 Words à |à 6 PagesUSA Patriot Act (2001) University of phoenix Legal issues in justice and security AJS 522 Kim Tandy July 15, 2013 USA Patriot Act (2001) On September 11, 2001 19 Al-Queda members attacked New York and Washington D.C. by hijacking four passenger airliners. Two of the airplanes American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines 175 were crashed into the north and south towers of the World Trade Centers in New York City. American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon which collapsed theRead MoreSecurity vs. Liberty1116 Words à |à 5 Pagesunder the guise of a terrorist seeking bill. The Patriot Act was indeed effective in increasing the power allotted to surveillance agencies, but many feel at too high of a cost. Many have asked the questionÃ⦠is the cure worse than the disease? In order to appropriately analyze the Patriot Act, it is important to look at its exact stipulations, and how it has been used (misused) at the time of its passage and now. On Oct 24th 2001, the Patriot Act made its first appearance in front of the 107th
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Elizabethan Playhouses and Performance Conventions Free Essays
string(53) " and the Lords were able to hear the actors clearly\." When Elizabeth became Queen of England in 1558, there were no specially designed theatre buildings. Companies of actors (usually small, made of 5 to 8 members) toured the country and performed in a wide variety of temporary acting spaces, mainly in inn yards, but also in churches, Town Halls, Town Squares, great halls of Royal Palaces or other great houses, or anywhere else that a large crowd could be gathered to view a performance. It is true that they continued to tour throughout Elizabethââ¬â¢s reign (especially during the Plague in London, when theatres were closed or earned but little money). We will write a custom essay sample on Elizabethan Playhouses and Performance Conventions or any similar topic only for you Order Now Nevertheless, given the laws passed by the Queen to control wandering beggars and vagrants ââ¬â which implicitly affected the acting companies as well ââ¬â many actors were encouraged to settle down with permanent bases in London. The first permanent theatres in England were old inns which had been used as temporary acting areas when the companies had been touring. E. g. The Cross Keys, The Bull, The Bel Savage, The Bell ââ¬â all originally built as inns. Some of the inns that became theatres had substantial alterations made to their structure to allow them to be used as playhouses. The first purpose built theatre building in England was simply called The Theatre, eventually giving its name to all such building erected in the outskirts of London and functioning until the closing of the theatres in 1642 during the Civil War. The Theatre was built in 1576, at Shoreditch in the northern outskirts of London, by the Earl of Leicesterââ¬â¢s Men who were led by James Burbage, a carpenter turned actor. It seems that the design of The Theatre was based on that of bull-baiting and bear-baiting yards (as a matter of fact, bull baiting, bear baiting and fencing shows were very popular by that time, and they were often organized before the plays started. ). The Theatre was followed the next year (1577) by The Curtain, in 1587 by The Rose and in 1595 by The Swan (to mention but the most famous theatres). In 1599, a dispute over the land on which The Theatre stood determined Burbageââ¬â¢s sons to secretly tear down the building and carry away the timber to build a new playhouse on the Bankside which they names The Globe. By this time, the Burbages had become members of Lord Chamberlainââ¬â¢s Company, along with William Shakespeare, and The Globe is famously remembered as the theatre in which many of Shakespeareââ¬â¢s plays were first performed. (The Globe was destroyed in 1613 in a fire caused by the sparks of a cannon fired during the performance of Shakespeareââ¬â¢s Henry VIII. Rebuilt, it was closed and demolished in 1644 during the Civil War. The modern reconstruction of Shakespeareââ¬â¢s Globe Theatre in London was completed in 1997. ) Before going into more details regarding the structure of the Elizabethan theatre, distinction should be made, however, between two categories of playhouses: the public (outdoor) theatres and the private (indoor) theatres. The former were amphitheatre buildings open to the air and therefore cheaper ââ¬â The Globe, for instance, charged two pence for a seat in the galleries or a single penny to stand in the yard. The latter (e. g. Blackfriars; The Cockpit) were built to a hall design in enclosed and usually rectangular buildings more like the theatres we know today. They had amore exclusive audience since they charged considerably more ââ¬â the cheapest seat in a private theatre cost sixpence. The adult companies did not start to use the private hall theatres until after Elizabethââ¬â¢s death, but they were used by the boy companies (made up entirely of child and teenage actors) in Elizabethââ¬â¢s reign and were used by Shakespeareââ¬â¢s Company ââ¬â by this time the Kingââ¬â¢s Men ââ¬â and other adult companies in the Jacobean period. Structure and Design of Public/ Outdoor Theatres Public theatres were polygonal ââ¬â hexagonal outside and round inside (ââ¬Å"a wooden Oâ⬠as Shakespeare puts it in Henry V). An open-air arena ââ¬â called ââ¬Å"pitâ⬠or ââ¬Å"yardâ⬠ââ¬â had, at one end, a wooden stage supported by large pillars, with trap doors for special effects (to allow ghosts, devils and similar characters to be raised up) and was surrounded by three tiers of roofed galleries (thatched, later on tiled roofs) with balconies, overlooking the back of the stage. The rear stage was covered by a roof ââ¬â which they called ââ¬Å"Heavensâ⬠through which, by means of ropes, they ould lower down the actors playing the gods/ angels, etc. , for flying or dramatic entrances ââ¬â held up by massive pillars and obstructing the view of audience members from various angles. The stage wall behind these pillars was called ââ¬Å"Frons Scenaeâ⬠(taken from the name given by Imperial Rome to the stage walls of their amphitheatres ) provided with doors to the left and to the right and a curtained central doorway ââ¬â referred to as the ââ¬Å"discovery spaceâ⬠ââ¬â which allowed characters to be suddenly revealed or a play within a play to be acted. The rear wall of this inner stage was covered by tapestry, the only usual ââ¬Å"sceneryâ⬠used on the stage. Immediately above the inner stage, there was the stage gallery which could be used for multiple purposes: ââ¬â as an acting space: on either sides, there were bow-windows used for the frequent window/ balcony scenes (e. g. Romeo and Juliet). Thus the arrangement of a front stage and two-storeyed back stage permitted three actions to go on simultaneously and a life-like parallelism of events. ââ¬â another part of the gallery could be used as a music-room. Music was an extra effect added in the 1600ââ¬â¢s. The musicians started playing an hour before the beginning of the play and also played at appropriate moments throughout the performance. ââ¬â when necessary, some of the boxes of the stage gallery were used for audience seating. They were referred to as the ââ¬Å"Lordââ¬â¢s roomsâ⬠and considered the best (and hence the most expensive) seats in the ââ¬Ëhouseââ¬â¢ despite the poor view of the back of the actors. (Nevertheless, the audience at large would have a good view of the Lords and the Lords were able to hear the actors clearly. You read "Elizabethan Playhouses and Performance Conventions" in category "Essay examples" There were also additional balconies on the left and right of the ââ¬Å"Lordââ¬â¢s roomsâ⬠called the ââ¬Å"Gentlemenââ¬â¢s roomsâ⬠, also meant for the rich patrons of the theatres. As previously mentioned, the stage wall structure contained two doors (at least) leading to a small structure, back stage, called the ââ¬Å"Tiring Houseâ⬠used by actors to dress, prepare and wait offstage. Above the stage gallery, there is a third storey connected with the ââ¬Å"Heavensâ⬠extending forward from the tiring-house over the rear part of the stage, which was often used to represent the walls of a castle or a city. Last but not least, on top of this structure, there was also what might be called a fourth storey of the tiring-house, referred to as the ââ¬Å"Hutâ⬠presumably used as a storage space and housing suspension gear for flying effects, while the third storey stage cover served as a loading room for players preparing to ââ¬Ëflyââ¬â¢ down to the stage. On top of the ââ¬Å"hutâ⬠, a flag (a black one, if it was a tragedy, a white one, if it was a comedy, or a red one, if it was a history) was erected to let the world know a play was to be performed that day. The access to the playhouse was ensured by one main entrance, where playgoers had to put the admission fee ââ¬â i. e. 1 penny, for those who watched the play from the yard, standing, called the ââ¬Å"Groundlingsâ⬠(shopkeepers, craftsmen, apprentices), or more, up to 4-5 pence for the gentry and the great lords sitting in the galleries. The galleries could be reached by the two sets of stairs in the structure, on either side of the theatre. The first gallery would cost another penny in the box which was held by a collector (ââ¬Å"gathererâ⬠) at the front of the stairs. The second gallery would cost another penny. At the start of the play, after collecting money from the audience, the admission collectors put the boxes in a room backstage, called the ââ¬Å"box office. â⬠The Players There were invariably many more parts than actors. Elizabethan Theatre, therefore, demanded that an actor be able to play numerous roles and make it obvious to the audience by changes in his acting style and costume that he was a new person each time. When the same character came on disguised (as, for example, many of Shakespeareââ¬â¢s female characters disguise themselves as boys ââ¬â e. . The Merchant of Venice or Twelfth Night) speeches had to be included making it very clear that this was the same character in a new costume, and not a completely new character. All of the actors in an Elizabethan Theatre company were male (which might explain the scarcity of female roles in Elizabethan drama). There were laws in England against women acting onstage and English travellers abroad were amused and amazed by the strange customs of Continental European countries that allowed women to play female roles. Exceptions : One woman ââ¬â Mary Frith, better known as Moll Cutpurse ââ¬â was arrested in the Jacobean period for singing and playing instruments onstage during a performance of a play about her life (Middleton and Dekkerââ¬â¢s The Roaring Girl) and some suggest that she may actually have been illegally playing herself in the performance, and women sometimes took part in Court Masques (a very stylised and spectacular sort of performance for the Court, usually dominated by singing and dancing), but otherwise English women had no part in the performance of Elizabethan plays. The male actors who played female parts have traditionally been described as ââ¬Å"Boy Actorsâ⬠ââ¬â they were actually boys whose voices had not changed. The rehearsal and performance schedule that Elizabethan Players followed was intense and demanding. Unlike modern theatres, where a successful play can run for years at a time, Elizabethan theatres normally performed six different plays in their six day week, and a particularly successful play might only be repeated once a month or so. For example, in a typical season, a theatrical company could perform thirty-eight different plays. The Elizabethan actor did not have much time, therefore, to prepare for each new play, and must have had to learn lines and prepare his blocking largely on his own and in his spare time ââ¬â probably helped by the tendency of writers to have particular actors in mind for each part, and to write roles which were suited to the particular strengths and habits of individual actors. There were few formal rehearsals for each play and no equivalent of the modern Director (although presumably the writer, theatre managers, and the most important actors ââ¬â who owned shares in the theatre company ââ¬â would have given some direction to other actors). Instead of being given full scripts, each actor had a written ââ¬Å"partâ⬠, a long scroll with nothing more than his own lines and minimal cue lines (the lines spoken by another actor just before his own) to tell him when to speak ââ¬â this saved on the laborious task of copying out the full play repeatedly by hand. There was a bookholder or prompter who held a complete script and who helped actors who had forgotten their lines. Costumes, Scenery and Effects Elizabethan costuming seems to have been a strange combination of what was (for the Elizabethans) modern dress, and costumes which ââ¬â while not being genuinely historically or culturally accurate ââ¬â had a historical or foreign flavour. Strict laws were in force about what materials and types of clothes could be worn by members of each social class ââ¬â laws which the actors were allowed to break onstage ââ¬â so it would be immediately obvious to the Elizabethan audience that actors wearing particular types of clothes were laying people of particular backgrounds and types. The colours were also carefully chosen so as to suggest: red ââ¬â blood; black ââ¬â gloom, evil; yellow ââ¬â sun; white ââ¬â purity; scarlet ââ¬â doctor; gray ââ¬â friar; blue ââ¬â serving men. Extensive make-up was almost certainly used, particularly for the boys playing female parts and with dark make-up on the face and hands for actors playing ââ¬Å"blackamoorsâ⬠or ââ¬Å"Turksâ⬠. There were also conventions for playing a number of roles ââ¬â some of which we know from printed play scripts. Mad women, like Ophelia, wore their hair loose and mad people of both sexes had disordered clothing. Night scenes were often signalled by characters wearing nightdresses (even the Ghost of Hamletââ¬â¢s father appears in his nightgown, when Hamlet is talking with his Mother in her chamber). The Elizabethans did not use fixed scenery or painted backdrops of the sort that became popular in the Victorian period ââ¬â hence the playwrights had to provide the actors with spoken descriptions of landscape which with Shakespeare represent memorable poetry. That does not mean, however, that the Elizabethans performed on a completely bare stage. A wide variety of furniture and props were brought onstage to set the scene as necessary ââ¬â ranging from simple beds, tables, chairs and thrones to whole trees, grassy banks, prop dragons, an unpleasant looking cave to represent the mouth of hell, and so forth. Death brought out a particular ingenuity in Elizabethan actors and they apparently used copious quantities of animal blood, fake heads and tables with holes in to stage decapitations. Heads, hands, eyes, tongues and limbs were dramatically cut off onstage, and probably involved some sort of blood-drenched stage trick. A number of other simple special effects were used. Real cannons and pistols (loaded with powder but no bullet) were fired off when ceremonial salutes or battles were required. Thunder was imitated by rolling large metal cannon balls backstage or by drumming, while lightning was imitated by fireworks set off in the ââ¬Å"heavensâ⬠above the stage. One thing that Elizabethan theatres almost completely lacked was lighting effects. In the outdoor theatres, like the Globe, plays were performed from two oââ¬â¢clock until about four or four thirty in the afternoon (these were the times fixed by law, but plays may sometimes have run for longer) in order to take advantage of the best daylight (earlier or later performances would have cast distracting shadows onto the stage). Evening performances, without daylight, were impossible. In the hall theatres, on the other hand, the stages were lit by candlelight ââ¬â which forced them to hold occasional, probably musical, breaks while the candles were trimmed and tended or replaced as they burned down. Elizabethan actors carried flaming torches to indicate that a scene was taking place at night, but this would have made little difference to the actual lighting of the stage, and spectators simply had to use their imagination. The nearest that the Elizabethans came to lighting effects were fireworks, used to imitate lightening or magical effects. Performance Techniques We know very little, unfortunately, about how Elizabethan actors actually played their roles. Performances probably ran continuously without any sort of interval or Act Breaks. Occasionally music may have been played between Acts or certain scenes, but scholars think this was quite unusual except in the hall playhouses, where candles had to be trimmed and replaced between Acts. We do not even know how long Elizabethan plays usually ran. The law (mentioned above) expected plays to last between two and two and a half hours, but some plays ââ¬â such as Hamlet, which in modern times runs for more than four hours ââ¬â seem much too long to have been performed in such a short time. What props and scenery there were in the Elizabethan Theatre were probably carried on and off while the scenes continued, while actors were continually moving forward and backward into the midst of the surrounding audience. All entrances and exits were through the doors at the rear of the stage proper: one actor left through one door while a second actor would appear through the second door to swing into the next scene. That means that there would have been no need to wait for scene changes. The actors were kept in constant motion and, given the design of the stage, they had to face in as many different directions as possible during a scene. Another aspect of Elizabethan performance that we know a little about was the use of clowns or fools. Shakespeare complains in Hamlet about the fact that the fool often spoke a great deal that was not included in his script, and in the early Elizabethan period especially it seems to have been normal for the fool to include a great deal of improvised repartee and jokes in his performance, especially responding to hecklers in the audience. At the end of the play the Elizabethan actors often danced, and sometimes the fool and other comic actors would perform a jig ââ¬â which could be anything from a simple ballad to a quite complicated musical play, normally a farce involving adultery and other bawdy topics. Some time was apparently put aside for the fool to respond to challenges from the audience ââ¬â with spectators inventing rhymes and challenging the fool to complete them, asking riddles and questions and demanding witty answers, or simply arguing and criticising the fool so that he could respond. With no modern stage lighting to enhance the actors and put the audience into darkness, Globe audience members could see each other exactly as well as they could see the performers and the Groundlings in particular were near enough to the stage to be able to touch the actors if they wanted to and the front row of the Groundlings routinely leaned their arms and heads onto the front of the stage itself. The Groundlings were also forced to stand for two or three hours without much movement, which encouraged short attention spans and a desire to take action rather than remain completely immobile. This means that the Groundlings frequently shouted up at the actors or hissed the villains and cheered the goodies. Elizabethan audiences seem to have been very responsive in this way ââ¬â as their interactions with the Fool suggests ââ¬â and were particularly well known for hurling nut shells and fruit when they disliked an actor or a performance. The Elizabethan audience was still more distracted, however, since beer and food were being sold and consumed throughout the performance, prostitutes were actively soliciting for trade, and pickpockets were busy stealing goods as the play progressed. Elizabethan audiences may have ââ¬Å"viewedâ⬠plays very differently, hence the origin of the word ââ¬Å"audienceâ⬠itself. The Elizabethans did not speak of going to see a play, they went to hear one ââ¬â and it is possible that in the densely crowded theatre ââ¬â obstructed by the pillars and the extravagant headgear that richer members of the audience were wearing ââ¬â the Elizabethan audience was more concerned to hear the words spoken than to be able to see the action. This idea is given extra weight by the fact that in the public outdoor theatres, like the Globe, the most expensive seats were not the ones with the best views (in fact the best view is to be had by the Groundlings, standing directly in front of the stage), but those which were most easily seen by other audience members. The most expensive seating was in the Lordââ¬â¢s box or balcony behind the stage ââ¬â looking at the action from behind ââ¬â and therwise the higher the seats the more an audience member had to pay. (Some Elizabethan documents suggest that the reason for this range of prices was the richer patronââ¬â¢s desire to be as far from the stink of the Groundlings as possible. ) Specific aspects of Elizabethan performances: bear-baiting: three bears in ascending size are set upon by an English hound in a fight to the death! fencing: less gruesome, this civilized sport also took place before plays. umb-shows/processions: parades or spectacles, these formal groups used all the most ornate costumes they owned, including crowns and sceptres, torches and swords. Dumbshows appeared at the end of each act to summarize the events of the following act. By the turn of the century, dumb-shows were considered old-fahsioned and corny. Processions were more solemn as actors moved mannequin-like across the stage. jigs: at the conclusion of a play, the actors would dance around the stage. Separate from the plays, these were bawdy, knockabout song-and-dance farces. Frequently resembling popular ballads, jigs were often commentaries on politics or religion. masques: masques were plays put on strictly by the royals. These were celebrations, i. e. royal weddings or winning a battle. Designed as banquets of the senses, these celebrations spanned several days during which each member of the party played a part in the allegorical theme of the banquet. Masques were always held in private playhouses. How to cite Elizabethan Playhouses and Performance Conventions, Essay examples
Monday, April 27, 2020
Leadership Ethics in the Workplace
Table of Contents Introduction Description of the Organization Leadership in organizations Diversity as an organizational challenge Managing diversity in organizations Conclusion References Introduction In the modern world, the number of scandals within the workplace has been on the rise. This is attributed to the lack of proper ethics and leadership skills within the workplace. Lack of proper leadership and management has negative effects on the both the personal and organization level.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Leadership Ethics in the Workplace specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The leaders in a workplace are a reflection of the group members in that particular workplace and the group members in one way or the other bear the burden of what the leader decides to do or has already done. As the leader bears the responsibility of governing the groupââ¬â¢s conduct in the workplace, his or her leadership skills should be firmly founded in ethics. Ethics by its definition involves a set of rules that that control and guide the individuals in question in their daily routine, which includes the workplace. The virtues involved in the ethics, act as the guidelines as well as the criteria to proper behavior. Custom, conduct, choices, and free will are some of the issues that are addressed by ethics (Langan-Fox and Cooper, 2008, p. 111). In order for a leader in a workplace to tackle the challenges ahead effectively, the leader must take note of the challenges and instigate a transparent process of addressing them. As the challenges in current organizations increase in complexity, it is important that all the employees should change their mindset on what they perceive on leadership and shift the focus to the role of a leader. The must desist from being independent to interdependent as this is the only way organizations can cope in the current complex world. Description of the Organization Perfection Clutch is the ââ¬Å"leading producer of a full line of automotive clutches, new flywheels and clutch hydraulics marketed under the Perfection Clutch, Brute Power and ZOOM brandsâ⬠(Perfection Clutch, n.d). The mission statement was hard to find specifically, but after speaking with the human resource department it was explained to be that basically, ââ¬Å"We are committed to maintaining our position as a leading specialist in the offering of parts for repair of service-exchange clutches, hydraulics, and flywheels for a range of automatic vehiclesâ⬠(Perfection Clutch, n.d). The code of ethics is quite lengthily but the important points are, ââ¬Å"To have a sense of personal obligation to each customer, to give the best customer service possible and in the case of any disputes, to provide a prompt and amicable resolution, and to ensure that my entire staff conducts themselves in a professional manner and in keeping with the high standards of the automotive in dustryâ⬠(Perfection Clutch, n.d.). The many stakeholders for the company include financers, customers, suppliers, employers, the owners, and the local community.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Leadership in organizations The ever-changing economy and the increase in expectation of productivity are some of the characters of the emerging new world. Increase in both pace and the pressure of working extra hard result to tension and stress on the employees. This hence results to the question of how the leader can motivate his or her subordinates to unite and work for the betterment of the organization. Leadership in organization incorporates such strategies as empowering employees, structuring the spirit of unity and developing of trust. However, these strategies may take months or even years to implement and itââ¬â¢s not an overnights work. Diversity as an organization al challenge More than before diversity has become one of the greatest characteristic feature of the modern type of workforce in organizations. Increase participation of women as well as minorities in the workforce is evident. However, despite this increase the role of supervising multilingual and multicultural workforce has proved to be a challenging issue within the boundaries of organizations. This in one way or the other has led to employment of temporary or part-time workers whose commitment to the organization is not complete (Reece and Brandt, 2008, p. 278). According to Draft and Lane (2008), the maximum potential of diversity cannot be achieved without the incorporation of culture. This means that, within the organizations individuals must tackle head on the difficult issues relating to diversities. Although numerous steps have been taken in creating diverse organizations in the corporate world, more still needs to be done, as we are not there yet. One of the most crucial r oles for organization leaders in the years to come is creating and establishing a firm foundation for diverse leadership skills. In organizations, diversity is mainly evident in the lower ranks and it proves to be an uphill task to elevate it to the higher ranks, an initiative that is to be undertaken by the leadership fraternity. Successful and responsible leaders in this ever-changing world have the role of valuing and acknowledging the various cultural differences and comprehend the effects of diversity in the operations of the organization and its aftermath (Daft and Lane, 2008, p. 325).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Leadership Ethics in the Workplace specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As a leadership challenge, diversity seeks to fully maximize ability of human resources for the sole purpose of achieving maximum productivity and effective accomplishment of missions. In the modern world, as more minorities and women climb up the management hierarchy, they tend to find it a lonely road, which is filled with barriers. The experience of sexism and racialism in the lower ranks of organizational positions is regarded as a preparation to the real eye opener experience attained in the higher authority positions. In the workplace, racism and sexism are often expressed in subtle means. Majority of the minority leaders in organizations are intimidated by the negative attitude portrayed to them by their subordinates. This therefore leads to a struggle among these leaders of delegating responsibilities and duties to the same subordinate that are not respectful. In organizations, leaders perceive diversity as a constant challenge. Apart from its benefits, cultural diversity for instance is attributed to costs incurring and other concerns such as difficulties in communications and intra-organizational conflicts. Without proper measures and among organizational leaders the issue of diversity in the workplace will persist to be a thorn in the long-term plans of organizations. Diversity of people, regarding their color, their gender, and their nationality has been one of the major issues that have been revolving across the world. Increased diversity initially had been viewed as a problem and what followed next is the legislation founded on the various diversity categories. Assimilation was regarded as the ultimate solution as women, minorities, and immigrants were trained on acting as employees that are existing (Parker, p. 80 81). In spite of the decrease in overt racism in the past decades, race- based decisions are still carried out within our organizations. This type of racism, which is known as aversive, is not easily detectable and hence it becomes problematic. The presence of aversive racism is mainly common in ambiguous situations where other factors other than race can be attributed to the decision made.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In a situation where a leader states the reasons of failing to achieve high quality relations with a subordinates as been personality difference or work performance, the leader may be applying aversive racism as in the situation racism may be indicated as the critical factor. This kind of creeping racism is regarded as one of the biggest challenges in not only modern organizations but individual point of view as the perpetrators involved are not always aware of bias they have committed (Graen, 2003, p. 48). The perceptions within the organizations that contact with the individuals of different races is bound to reduce prejudice is not correct. Contact on its own its not bound to change the attitude towards individuals of different races. Contrary more contact is bound to increase negative attitude instead of reducing it. In majority of the organizations managing diversity is mainly considered as a priority by considering the change in internal and external pressures. In the current world organizations tend to hire women and minorities in situations where there is a possibility of a legal challenge that pose as a threat to the organization. In addition to this modern racism has been regarded as subtle in the community. This means that conflict is created in the organization when the suggestions of the employee regarding affirmative action are not taken note of before diversity initiatives are implemented. In a situation like this one party in the organization feels offended as its suggestions have been disregarded and hence the effects of the aftermath is that the same party is affected negatively by its counterpart party (Rice, 2010, p. 73). Managing diversity in organizations Organizations are regarded as any other social system when it comes to long-term racial identities. Organizations will have to be equipped with proactive solutions in their attempt of dealing with racial attitudes within the organization. Negative exchanges that are based on race will ne ed to be minimized and instead training programs will need to be incorporated in the organizations. With these training programs, the leaders as well as the monitors will be able to scrutinize their own beliefs and actions. In addition to this, the organizations can establish a superior identification of the employee with the organization. A good example of this superior identification is in the US army statement that recognizes no other color apart from green. This indicates the irrelevance of race in the culture of the US army. One of the best approach of dealing with the issue of diversity and in particular racism is by creating a leadership culture that will accept as well as respect the various types of races constructively (Graen, 2003, p. 49). Leaders within an organization have a crucial role to play in regarding to the issue of diversity within his or her organization. The leaders need to be trained on developing quality exchanges with their subordinates. The training shoul d range from listening skills to exchanging of resources. It is from the training that future work relations between the followers and the leaders will be solidified as well as teamwork satisfaction achieved. Leaders of organizations whose main agenda is to effectively manage diversity, they must appreciate the role played by conflict in promoting a teamwork belief within the organization. ââ¬Å"One common wayâ⬠tackling of diversity within the organizations should not be aspired by leaders as they should decide on the best way forward of bringing together conflicting interests in order to arrive to an amicable solution. Despite the numerous positive changes that are notably detected in the current world of minorities and women in regard to their effect in the workforce, this group of people still remains untapped. In order for the organizations to change this situation in the workplace, broader steps need to be taken. One of these steps is pay hike for the women. According to a recent government statistics, women remain underpaid as compared to their male counter-parts with a 31 percent of women making it to the highest paid category. Upper management positions should also be incorporated with the minorities in the society and not just the majority group. This will foster representation of the various groups within the organization and the society at large (Hodgetts and Hegar, 2008, p. 563). As the word is rapidly changing majority of the organizations have incorporated training among their supervisors and managers on the basis that the world is changing and they need to change with it least they are left lagging behind. The managers and the supervisors are mainly the focus of the training as they are normally at the diversity frontier. In addition to this, handling a diverse workgroup is a completely new topic to comprehend to majority of the organizationsââ¬â¢ leaders. As the training commence support on diversity should be elicited from all stakeh olders so as a successful implementation of the program can be achieved. The effects of diversity issues to an organization should be clearly spelt out in order to enable the leaders undertaking the training appreciate the whole training program. Conclusion Diversity management should be based on healthy human relations that are fundamentally valuable. The people within the leadership positions within the organizations should therefore tackle the day-to-day issues that emerge when members of their organization speak different languages, possess different cultures, and possess different backgrounds. This will require a leader who can cope or adapt swiftly to the race, gender, and ethnicity issues without compromising to the values of a particular group. The managers should learn to create a conducive environment whereby difference and diversity are of high value. Addition to this, the conducive working environment should maximize on the full potential of the employee without discrimi nating. Tackling of the diversity issues amicably will ensure that that an organization has attained a competitive advantage over the other players in the industry. Failure to tackle the diversity issue will result to poor teamwork production and lack of modern managerial skills. The workforce in use in the modern world is comprised of various races, genders, ages, and ethnic groups among other diversities. It is the role of a leader to ensure the different pieces of these diversity fits together and synchronize in a harmonious manner ensuring that the full potential of each employee is achieved. The future indicates that there will be no room for individuals who cannot successfully work with their diverse counterparts. References Daft, L. R. and Lane, G. P. (2008). The leadership experience. OH: Thomson Higher Education. Graen, B. G. (2003). Dealing with diversity. NY: Information Age Publishing. Hodgetts, M. R. and Hegar, W. K. (2008). Modern Human Relations at Work. OH: Thomson H igher Education. Langan-Fox, J. and Cooper, L. C. (2008). Research companion to the dysfunctional workplace: management challenges and symptoms. Massachusetts: Edward Elgar Publishing, Inc. Parker, B. (2005). Introduction to globalization and business: relationships and responsibilities. CA: SAGE Publications. Reece, L. B. and Brandt, R. (2008). Effective Human Relations: Personal and Organizational Applications. MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. Rice, F. M. (2010). Diversity and Public Administration: Theory, Issues, and Perspectives. NY: M.E. Sharpe, Inc. This essay on Leadership Ethics in the Workplace was written and submitted by user Carlie Page to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.
Thursday, March 19, 2020
Chicken Soup For The Soul Essays - Anthropology, Free Essays
Chicken Soup For The Soul Essays - Anthropology, Free Essays Chicken Soup For The Soul Anthropology may be dissected into four main perspectives, firstly physical or biological anthropology, which is an area of study concerned with human evolution and human adaptation. Its main components are human paleontology, the study of our fossil records, and human genetics, which examines the ways in which human beings differ from each other. Also adopted are aspects of human ecology, ethnology, demography, nutrition, and environmental physiology. From the physical anthropologist we learn the capabilities for bearing culture that distinguish us from other species. Secondly archaeology, which follows from physical anthropology, reassembles the evolution of culture by examining the physical remains of past societies. Its difference from physical anthropology being its concern with culture rather than the biological aspects off the human species. Archaeologists must assess and analyse their subject culture from accidental remains, which can only provide an incomplete picture. Third ly, Anthropological linguistics is a field within anthropology which focuses upon the relationship between language and cultural behaviour. Anthropological linguists ask questions about language and communication to aid the appraisement of society rather than a descriptive or linguistic assessment. For example Freil and Pfeiffer (1977) cite an assessment of the Inuit language where there are twelve unrelated words for wind and twenty-two for snow, showing the difference in significance by comparison with our own society. The deduction being that wind and snow are more significant to the Inuit so they scrutinise them more rigorously and can clearly define them accordingly. This kind of linguistic analysis facilitates a better understanding of a foreign culture to help place it into context to allow contrast. Fourthly, social anthropology is the study of human social life or society, concerned with examining social behavior and social relationships. As the focus of social anthropology is on patterns of social connection, it is commonly contrasted with the branch of anthropology that examines culture, that is, learnt and inherited beliefs and standards of behavior and in particular the meanings, values and codes of conduct. Cultural anthropology (the study of culture in its social context) is associated particularly with American anthropology (specifically, in the United States), and social anthropology with European, especially British studies, which have tended to be more sociological, that is, they are more concerned with understanding society. However, culture and society are interdependent, and today the single term sociocultural anthropology is sometimes used. The social anthropologist uses a number of cultural ethnographic studies to construct an ethnological study. A social anthropological definition of culture is given by J.P.Spenley in 'The Ethnographic Interview' (1979), culture is the acquired knowledge that people use to interpret, experience and gen erate social behaviour. By this interpretation culture is not the physical characteristics of any society but the reasoning behind those characteristics, it is a body of implicit and explicit knowledge shared by a group of people. It is used by people individually as a map to determine their behaviour in any given situation. Spendley's definition does not divert from the significance of behaviour, customs, objects or emotions, these are essential tools for the anthropologist which allow the interpretation of culture to facilitate the tracking down of cultural meaning. Ethnographic study is a search to uncover this meaning which is the root cause of cultural differences and can therefore be seen as the definition of any culture. There has been considerable theoretical debate by anthropologists over the most useful attributes that a technical concept of culture should stress. For example, in 1952 Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn, American anthropologists, published a list of 160 dif ferent definitions of culture. A brief table of this list next page, shows the diversity of the anthropological concept of culture. TABLE: Diverse Definitions of Culture: Topical: Culture consists of everything on a list of topics, or categories, such as social organization, religion, or economy Historical: Culture is social heritage, or tradition, that is passed on to future generations Behavioral: Culture is shared, learned human behavior, a way of life Normative: Culture is ideals, values, or rules for living Functional: Culture is the way humans solve problems of adapting to the environment or living together Mental: Culture is a complex of ideas, or learned habits, that inhibit impulses and distinguish people from animals Structural: Culture
Monday, March 2, 2020
Famous Quotations About Dragons
Famous Quotations About Dragons Dragons are among the most fierce and monstrous of creatures in literature and legend. They appear in stories and myths from around the world. People of all ages love these literary monsters. Even when writers arent including real dragons in their stories they reference them for symbolic meaning, usually about people overcoming fantastic odds. Here Are a Few Quotes About Dragons A poet can write about a man slaying a dragon, but not about a man pushing a button that releases a bomb.- W. H. AudenAbove us, outlined against the brilliant sky, dragons crowded every available perching space on the Rim. And the sun made a gold of every one of them.ââ¬â¢ Anne McCaffrey, Nerilkas StoryBut it is one thing to read about dragons and another to meet them.ââ¬â¢ Ursula K. Le Guin, A Wizard of EarthseaCome not between the dragon, and his wrath.- William Shakespeare, King LearFairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.ââ¬â¢ Neil Gaiman, CoralineFairy tales do not give the child his first idea of bogey. What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of bogey. The baby has known the dragons intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon.ââ¬â¢ G.K. Chesterton, Tremendous TriflesH e had only heard of dragons, and although he had never seen one, he was sure they existed.ââ¬â¢ Dee Marie, Sons of Avalon: Merlins Prophecy He who fights too long against dragons becomes a dragon himself; and if you gaze too long into the abyss, the abyss will gaze into you.- Friedrich NietzscheHere be dragons to be slain, here be rich rewards to gain; / If we perish in the seeking, why, how small a thing is death!ââ¬â¢ Dorothy L. Sayers, Catholic Tales and Christian SongsHow should we be able to forget those ancient myths that are at the beginning of all peoples, the myths about dragons that at the last moment turn into princesses; perhaps all the dragons of our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us once beautiful and brave. Perhaps everything terrible is in its deepest being something helpless that wants help from us.ââ¬â¢ Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young PoetI believe in everything until its disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if its in your mind. Whos to say that dreams and nightmares arent as real as the here and now?ââ¬â¢ John LennonI desired dra gons with a profound desire. Of course, I in my timid body did not wish to have them in the neighborhood. But the world that contained even the imagination of Ffnir was richer and more beautiful, at whatever the cost of peril.ââ¬â¢ J.R.R. Tolkien I do not care what comes after; I have seen the dragons on the wind of morning.ââ¬â¢ Ursula K. Le Guin, The Farthest ShoreIf you have ever seen a dragon in a pinch, you will realize that this was only poetical exaggeration applied to any hobbit, even to Old Tooks great-granduncle Bullroarer, who was so huge (for a hobbit) that he could ride a horse. He charged the ranks of the goblins of Mount Gram in the Battle of the Green Fields, and knocked their king Golfibuls head clean off with a wooden club. It sailed a hundred yards through the air and went down a rabbit-hole, and in this way, the battle was won and the game of Golf was invented at the same moment.ââ¬â¢ J.R.R. Tolkien, The HobbitImagine a land where people are afraid of dragons. It is a reasonable fear: dragons possess a number of qualities that make being afraid of them a very commendable response. Things like their terrible size, their ability to spout fire, or to crack boulders into splinters with their massive talo ns. In fact, the only terrifying quality that dragons do not possess is that of existence.ââ¬â¢ David Whiteland, Book of Pages Never laugh at live dragons.ââ¬â¢ J.R.R. TolkienNoble dragons dont have friends. The nearest they can get to the idea is an enemy who is still alive.ââ¬â¢ Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!O to be a dragon, a symbol of the power of Heaven - of silkworm size or immense; at times invisible.- Marianne Moore, O To Be A DragonSleeping on a dragons hoard with greedy, dragonish thoughts in his heart, he had become a dragon himself.ââ¬â¢ C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn TreaderSpeak politely to an enraged dragon.ââ¬â¢ J.R.R. TolkienThey say dragons never truly die. No matter how many times you kill them.ââ¬â¢ S.G. Rogers, Jon Hansen and the Dragon Clan of YdenTrue Dragons are among the Universes most perfect beings. This is a useful bit of information. Squirrel it away like a nugget of Fafnirs gold; take it out and burnish it now and then as we proceed.ââ¬â¢ Shawn MacKenzieYou cant map a sense of humor. Anyway, what is a fantasy map but a space beyond which There Be Dragon s? On the Discworld, we know that There Be Dragons Everywhere. They might not all have scales and forked tongues, but they Be Here all right, grinning and jostling and trying to sell you souvenirs.ââ¬â¢ Terry Pratchett, The Color of Magic
Saturday, February 15, 2020
Strategic management plan - Global Operations Mangement Essay
Strategic management plan - Global Operations Mangement - Essay Example Following is the PEST analysis of China. Political According to Chen Bin, head of industrial coordination at the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), motivated by healthy profits and economic benefits brought by auto parts industry, government of China is making efforts to open new factories and expand capacity (Schmitt, 2010). Chinese government encourages foreign investment however, to protect domestic industry, strict policies have been imposed such as NDRC issued a policy on 15 August 2009, which states that one foreign company cannot set up more than two joint ventures of same nature unless it merges with a domestic manufacturer and with no more than 50 percent shares (Murphy, 2010). Economics China auto spare market is expected to achieve 35 percent annual growth rate and in 2010, the auto parts exports of China will reach to 40 billion U.S. dollars (Anonym, 2008). China has combated the recent financial crisis very strongly and even Americans are declaring this c entury as the ââ¬Å"Chinese Centuryâ⬠(Associated Press, 2009). Chinese economy is facing a strong economic growth and the current Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of China is $4.985 trillion (World Bank, 2010). Social The huge difference in Chinese business culture as compared to other economies is a major obstacle for foreign companies (Runckel & Associates, 2006). The spending power of consumers in China is increasing and the average per capita national income in 2008 was $3000 and if it continues to increase at 8 percent, the per capita income will reach to $8500 by 2020 (Economy Watch). Westernization is also increasing in China which shows the changing living patterns of Chinese consumers. Technological The current expansion and investment plans exercised by China auto industry has aim to increase production capacity for 31.24 million units by end of 2015 (Schmitt, 2010). Competition China auto parts industry is increasing because of a number of foreign companies in China. T he strategies of government to protect the domestic companies are further strengthening the position of domestic companies, thereby, further boosting the competition (Yahoo, 2010). The following figure shows the structure of the Chinese auto part industry. It is interesting to note that by 2009 most of the companies are private owned. Moreover, the proportion of sales revenues of foreign companies is the highest which shows the demand of parts from foreign companies. Figure: Chinese Auto Parts Companies Source: Zhonghong, 2010 Internal Resource Analysis Based on the information given in the scenario, I have identified following strengths and weaknesses of the company. Strengths The company is holding 5 percent of the world market shares which shows a significant visibility of company in the international market The profit margin of the company is equal to the industry average which shows the financial stability of company PPQ Parts has developed significant corporate social responsi bility activities which help the companies to establish an image of socially responsible organization Weaknesses The average employee turnover of the company is 28 percent which is greater than the industry average which is 25 percent. It means that company is facing problems in satisfying its employees and retaining skilled labor. Short-term and long-term
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